Vitreous body for electric discharge devices



Oct. 5, 1937; w. J. WINNINGHOFF 2,094,630

VITREOUS BODY FOR ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICES I Original Filed Jan 26, L931 INVENTOR Patented Oct. 5, 1937 A UNITED 4 STATES PATENT OFFICE VITREOUS BODY FOR ELECTRIC DISCHARGE DEVICES Jersey Original application January 26, 1931, Serial No. 511,409. Divided and this application March 20, 1935, Serial No. 11,967

11 Claims.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of vitreous articles, and particularly to the afllxing of a powdered or granular foreign substance to the walls of a vitreous body.

The invention consists in the new and novel method hereinafter set forth and claimed.

A particular object of the invention is to provide an improved method of producing a vitreous body having a powdered or granular substance affixed thereto. Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed specification or from an inspection of the accompanying drawing.

Considerable difiiculty has been encountered in the past in the manufacture of various devices having a vitreous envelope to which a powdered or granular foreign substance is aflixed. For example, in the manufacture of cathode ray oscillographs, the vitreous envelope of which must be coated on the inside with a fluorescent substance such as zinc sulphide, willemite, or the like, the various expedients heretofore employed to affix the fluorescent substance to the vitreous envelope have been long and tedious and at the same time unsatisfactory. Similar difficulties have likewise been encountered in the manufacture of mercury vapor are devices, in which it is often desirable to have a granular substance, such as carborundum, aflixed to the cathode bulb in contact with the meniscus of the mercury cathode, in order to facilitate the starting of the arc. In the latter case, the bulb has commonly been heated to such a temperature while the carborundum or the like was in contact therewith that the vitreous ma.-

' terial partially fused and adhered to the carborundum. This method, while the best heretofore known, is obviously impracticable when the envelope is of fused silica, and even when the envelope is of glass it is not entirely satisfactory, since the working range between the temperature at which the carborundum will not adhere to the glass, due to insufficient fusing thereof, and the temperature at which the carborundum will sink so deeply into the glass as to weaken it physically and electrostatically, due to overheating thereof is extremely small; so small, in fact, that both conditions frequently exist simultaneously in a single bulb having a considerable area exposed to a uniform source of heat, due to the variations in thermal capacity resulting from the variations in wall thickness commonly found in blown bulbs. Furthermore, the softening of the bulb required to ailix the granular substance thereto tends to produce undesirable distortions in the bulb. The aflixingof the granular substance to appreciable areas of the glass bulb has, therefore, been a serious problem. I have now found that the powdered or granular substances, such as used in the aforesaid or similar devices, may be very simply and satisfactorily affixed to a vitreous body by a new method of my invention. Accord ing to this new method a thin layer of a vitreous material having a materially lower softening or fusing temperature than that of said body is produced in a suitable manner on that portion of said body to which the foreign substance is to be aflixed. The foreign substance is dusted on, partially embedded in, or intermixed with this layer of vitreous material, as desired, after which sumcient heat is applied to said body to frit the mass together. In case the material of lower melting point has substantially the same coeflicient of expansion as said body it is, of course, obvious that this heating may be continued until complete fusion takes place if it is so desired. As a result of the lower temperature at which this process may be carried out, as compared to that necessary to fuse the foreign substance directly to the vitreous body, the distortion of the vitreous body which has been virtually inescapable with the process heretofore employed is completely eliminated.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention I have shown the apparatus which I preferably use to carry out the several steps of my new process in the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is an elevational view of the apparatus employed to produce a thin coating of a vitreous material having a relatively low melting point on the inner surface of a vitreous body. 7

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of the apparatus used to partially embed the foreign substance in said coating, and

Fig. 3 is an elevational view, in part section, of the apparatus used to fuse or frit the vitreous coating to the vitreous body.

In the practice of my invention to aflix carborundum to the interiorsurface of the cathode bulb l of a mercury arc lamp of the Cooper- Hewitt type I first utilize the apparatus of Fig. 1 to coat the desired portion of the inner surface of said bulb with the glass of lower melting point. This apparatus consists of a bottle 2 having a suitable stopper 3 therein, through which passes a glass tube 4. Air under pressure is supplied to said tube 4 from any suitable source through the hose 5, a finger valve 6 which opens into said tube 4, normally affording free escape for said air. A restricted orifice l is also preferably connected to the tube 4, particularly when the pressure of said source is appreciable, in order to reduce the rate at which the pressure in said bottle 2 issincreased when the finger valve 6 is closed. Said bottle is partially filled with a semi-fluid mixture 8 consisting of ethyl alcohol, or other readily volatilizable liquid, in which are suspended particles of a glass such as the French seal glass manufactured by Corning Glass Works, Corning, New York, U. S. A., and known to the trade as G858V. This glass, which consists of 55-60% PbO, 8% alkali (NazO or K) and 35-37% 8102, has a fusing temperature materially below that of the lead glass ordinarily used for the bulb I, and at the same time has a coefiicient of ex- I gresses.

pansion which, so closely approximates that of lead glass that it can be fused thereto. Said semi-fluid mixture 8 is conveniently prepared by grinding the French seal glass to an impalpable powder, such as will pass through a 200 mesh sieve, and then mixing the powder with ethyl-al cohol in the proportions of say 500 grams of glass to 250 cubic centimeters of alcohol, the mixture being sufficiently agitated to produce a suspension of the glass particles in said alcohol. The ethyl alcohol employed must, of course, be denatured in order to comply with the requirements of the United States Government. Any approved denaturant which does not leave a residue which deleteriously affects the operation of the lamp or other device being manufactured may obviously be utilized for this purpose. A glass tube 9 .which passes through the stopper 3 terminates at one end below the surface of the glass mixture 8, while the other end connects with a rubber connection II], the resilience of which is utilized to provide a liquid tight connection with a bulb I when the latter is firmly held in place thereon, as shown, with the opening I I in said bulb I in registry with the openingin said connection III. I

The apparatus of Fig. 2 has been found to be very convenient for introducing the carborundum or the like into the bulb I. In this apparatus a glass container I5 contains a quantity of powdered or granular carborundum I6. The upper end of said container has a glass tube II extending therefrom, said tube being adapted to extend into the neck of a bulb I, as shown. A glass tube I8 which extends from the lower end of said container I5 connects with a suitable source of air under pressure through the hose I9, a finger valve 28 normally affording substantially free escape of air from said hose, sufiicient pressure being maintained in said hose I8, however, to prevent fiow of the carborundum I6 thereinto.

The coating of powdered glass may obviously be fritted or fused to the bulb I in any suitable manner. I prefer, however, to use the apparatus I of Fig. 3, which has been found to be very efflcient and to cause a minimum of glass breakage. This apparatus has a channeled bed plate 25, from opposite ends of which the rollers 25 are suspended in such a manner that the endless belt conveyor 21 carried by said rollers 26 passes over the top of said bed plate 25, said belt being slowly moved by suitable propelling apparatus. Attached to said belt conveyor at spaced intervals are a series of work holding supports 28, in the upper end of which the tubular appendages of the bulbs I loosely fit. A suitably slotted oven 29 is mounted above said bed plate I in'such a position that the bulbs I carriedby said work holders 28 will pass therethrough as the conveyor 21 pro- Said oven is conveniently heated by a resistance element which is located near the which escapes from the oven 29 through the opening'in the bottom thereof.

In the use and operation of this apparatus I first place a bulb I of glass, quartz, or any suitable vitreous material, upon the rubber connection III with the opening II, to which the negative inlead chamber is sealed at a later stage in the manufacture of the mercury vapor arc lamp of which the bulb I is a part, in registry with the opening in said connection. The finger valve 6 is then closed by the operator, causing the air.

pressure within the bottle 2 to increase, the glass mixture 8 being thereby forced upwardly through the tube II into the bulb l until a pool 8 of said mixture has been formed therein of desired-depth. The pressure is then released by opening the finger valve Ii, whereupon the glass mixture 8 "descends by gravity into the bottle 2, leaving a coating I2 of powdered glass and alcohol of pasty consistency on the wall of the bulb I. Any excess glass mixture is then allowed to drain from the bulb. While the aforesaid coating I2,of powdered glass is still moist the tubular portion of the bulb I is placed over the end of the glass tube II, the opening II in said bulb being preferably closed, as for example, by the operators finger. The finger valve 20 is then momentarily closed,

forcing the compressed air upward through the mass of granular carborundum I6, some of this carborundum being carried with-the air through said tube I'I into the bulb I, where it adheres to the moist coating I2 of powdered glass, some of the granules even being partially embedded in said coating. The coating is then allowed to dry.

When thoroughly dry the coating I2 still adheres to the wall of the glass bulb I sufiiciently to permit any ordinary handling of said bulb, although any undesired portions of said coating may be easily removed by brushing or rubbing. In practice it has been found desirable to remove the powdered glass and carborundum from the area immediately adjacent to the opening II, to

which the negative inlead chamber must be later carborundum appears to be more effective when the line of contact thereof with said mercury meniscus is discontinuous.

The bulb I is then inserted in a work supporting member 28 which is being-slowly carried toward the oven 29 by the belt conveyor 21. As said belt conveyor progresses the bulb I is carried within the oven I, where it is gradually heated as it approaches the centrally located heating element 30, said oven being maintained at such a temperature that the French seal glass partially fuses as the bulb I passes said heating element. The carborundum and the French seal glass are thereby fritted together and to the glass of the bulb I, with the result that the carborundum is firmly and permanently fixed to said bulb. Complete fusion of the French seal glass with the glass of the bulb I may be produced, if desired, although it has not been found necessary. After the bulb I has been carried past the heating element the temperature thereof gradually falls, due to the temperature gradient in this portion of the oven, with the result that no cooling strains are created in the glass bulb I. After emerging from the oven 29 the bulb I is allowed to cool a little longer, after which it is removed from the work holder 28. The bulb I is then ready to be fabricated into a mercury arc lamp.

While I have described a specific method of afiixing the carborundum or other foreign substance to a vitreous surface, other methods are possible and are believed to be within the scope of the present invention. For example, in some cases the foreign substance may be mixed with the glass mixture 8, and applied to the vitreous surface therewith. This method has, in fact, proved of particular value ,when substances such as willemite are applied to the walls of a cathode ray oscillograph, since it ensures the even distribution of the substance over the vitreous surface. It is also useful where a powdered metal, such as aluminum, is to be afiixed to a vitreous body, such as the envelope of a gaseous discharge device, particularly a mercury arc lamp. In another variation the glass of lower melting point may be produced by causing a chemical or physi-- cal change. in the surface of the vitreous body to which the foreign substance is to be affixed. For instance, if a lead glass body be coated in a suitable manner with lead oxide andheat applied thereto, a surface coating of a glass richer in lead and having a lower melting point than that of the rest of the. body will be produced. This coating may obviously be utilized to aflix foreign substances to the lead glass body in' the same manner as the powdered glass coating described in detail hereinbefore. It is to be understood, moreover, that various other changes, omissions or substitutions may be made in the several steps of the process by those skilled in the art without departing from the. spirit of my invention.

This application is a division of my co-pending application Serial No. 511,409, filed January 26, 1931.

I claim as my invention:

1. A vitreous body having a fused vitreous surface thereon, of different chemical composition from that of said body, said surface having a low er fusing temperature than said body but substantially the same coefficient of expansion thereas, and a fluorescent material incorporated in said vitreous surface.

2. An electric discharge tube of glass having a fused surface of vitreous material thereon of different chemical composition from that of said glass in which is incorporated fluorescent material.

3. An electric discharge tube having a coating thereon of fused vitreous material of different chemical composition from that of said tube having fluorescent material therein comprising compounds whose elements are all of low atomic weight.

4. An electric discharge tube of fused vitreous material having an inner fused surface of vitreous material thereon of substantially the same coefficient of expansion but of different chemical composition from that of said tube, and fluorescent material intermixed with said surface.

5. A fused vitreous body having fluorescent material intermixed with a vitreous coating thereon comprising a compound whose elements are all of low atomic weight, said coating having a dif ferent chemical composition from that of said body.

6. A gaseous electric discharge lamp device comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein which emits visible and ultra-violet light when excited to luminescence by the passage of an electric discharge therethrough and luminescent material embedded in an inner vitreous coating of said container, said luminescent material transmitting the visible light emitted by the gaseous electric discharge in the device and transforming the ultra violet light emitted by said discharge into visible light.

7. A gaseous electric discharge lamp device. comprising a container, electrodes sealed therein, a gaseous atmosphere therein which emits visible and ultra-violet light when excited to luminescence by the passage of an electric discharge therethrough and particles of luminescent material fused in situ in an inner vitreous coating of said container, said inner surface being a smooth, glassy one, said luminescent material transmitting the visible light emitted by the gaseous electric discharge in the device and transforming the ultra-violet light emitted by said discharge into visible light.

8. An electric discharge device comprising a sealed container of fixed form, a gaseous atmosphere therein, means for conducting electric current through said gaseous atmosphere, the inner surface of said container being a coating of vitreous material having particles of luminescent material fused in situ therein.

9. An electric discharge device comprising a sealed container of fixed form, a gaseous atmosphere therein which emits visible and ultra-violet light when excited by an electric discharge therethrough, means for conducting electric current through said gaseous atmosphere, the inner surface of said container being a coating of vitreous material having particles of luminescent material fused in situ therein.

10. An electric lamp device comprising a vitreous container, an ultra-violet light emitting element therein and luminescent solid material incorporated in an inner coating of vitreous material in said container.

11. A glass body transparent to luminous radiations having incorporated in a coating thereon of a vitreous material a luminescent solid material and having smooth, glassy surfaces on both sides thereof. WILFORD J. WINNINGHOFF. 

